The Berkeley Community Fund wishes you a fulfilling, challenging, and productive school year. Here are some ideas for making the most of your college experience:
Utilize your mentor – No one can succeed without help. Your mentor can support you and help you navigate college life. Ask them for advice. Use them as sounding boards. Let them know if you have a problem. Ask if they had similar experiences. Make an effort to get to know them. It takes time to build relationships, but they are eager to get to know you. They may not know the best way to help you, and it’s ok for you to tell them what you need. If you haven’t met in-person with them yet this summer, reach out to them. Hopefully, they will be just one of many mentor relationships you will cultivate in life. If you are having difficulties establishing a bond with your mentor, let BCF know. Not every match is a fit.
Access resources – College tuition gets you a lot of stuff – like a state of the art gymnasium. And just as you might routinely visit the gym to work out, explore all the resources that come with your tuition and get the most out of your college experience. If you have questions about majors – meet with department advisors (they get paid to help you). Struggling with homesickness or adjusting to school? Make an appointment with the mental health center. If you think you might have a learning disability, let us know, so we can help you get special accommodations (like more time to take tests). Questions about financial aid and scholarships? Make an appointment with the financial aid office. Get your money’s worth!
Seek internships – through professors and your career center as soon as you get back to school. Career centers maintain databases of available internships and jobs. Make an appointment at the beginning of the semester (even as a freshmen) before anyone else and start planning for next summer. While you are there, take some career assessments like the Strong Inventory to see what career paths might suit your interests.
Network – all the time. You never know when a contact might turn into a lead about a job or an internship or might spark a new interest. Teachers, coaches, your boss at the restaurant, fellow classmates, your BCF mentor, BCF board members, high school teachers, etc., they are all part of your network. Always be respectful, courteous, helpful, and genuinely interested. Finding opportunities is all about networking. A player on your intramural team might have parents who work at your dream company. So play nice!
Embrace experience – College is not just about classes. This is a time to stretch your boundaries and explore passions, not just in the classroom. Go camping with friends, try paddle boarding or rock climbing, take a language or an art class just because it seems interesting, study a new religion, explore a cause that interests you, take a drama class. Do a semester abroad. Find ways to make new friends and challenge yourself. If there is some activity you are afraid to try, that is the one you should pick! Be brave! Take one step towards your fear and then take another. Negar Esfandiari (2013 High Hopes Scholar) is doing just that. Check out her blog describing her semester abroad
These are our top tips for a great school year. Why don’t you send us yours? to lynn@berkfund.org
